Format vs Strikingly
We give Format a 2.4 GPA and Strikingly a 2.6, out of 4.0. Strikingly grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Format
Portfolio website builder for photographers and other creatives
Strikingly
Simple website builder for small sites, stores and memberships
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFormatFair | 2.6GPAStrikinglyGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBasic is $10 a month billed yearly ($14 monthly), right at this category's cheaper quarter. It's capped at 10 pages and 70 images with no store, so many will move to Pro at $17. Pro's $12 offer needs a code, ends October 31, 2026 and covers the first year only. | BLimited is $8 a month on yearly billing ($12 monthly), covering up to 2 sites on your own domain, so it's inside this category's cheapest quarter ($9). It's capped at 5 pages and keeps Strikingly branding; Pro at $16 lifts both. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 14-day free trial with no card needed, which is enough time to load a portfolio and see how it looks. Students can ask for a free year. | CUnlimited free sites with Strikingly branding, which is generous, but none of them can use your own domain. The larger page, storage and store limits all need a paid plan. |
| Features | CIt does the portfolio job fully: 90+ themes, Flex Block layouts, proofing galleries, file transfers, hosted video and a commission-free store. That's a smaller job than a general builder does, and Basic leaves out the store, video and image storage. | CClick-to-edit pages, a simple store, memberships, forms, a blog, and newsletters and live chat on VIP. It's sized for small sites, though: 100 pages and 300 products on Pro, and multiple languages only on VIP at $49. |
| Ease of use | CThere's an iPhone app but no store rating on record. Themes do the heavy lifting, but you're still building a site, page by page and gallery by gallery. | B4.56 from about 600 App Store ratings. Pick a template, click on anything you want to change and publish straight away. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and iPhone, with a Lightroom Classic plugin, Stripe, PayPal, Weglot, Google Workspace and Google Analytics. There's no Android app and no desktop app of its own. | BWeb and an iPhone app, with PayPal and Stripe for the store and feeds from Facebook, Instagram and X. No Android or desktop app. |
| Best for | photographers' portfolios with client galleries | small, quick sites on a small budget |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Format and Strikingly. How we grade
Price against what you get
Format starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Strikingly starts at $8 a month and scores 2.7.
Strikingly scores higher and starts $2 a month lower. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 2 score higher than Format for less, and 1 scores higher than Strikingly for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Format starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly). Strikingly starts at $8 per month for up to 2 sites, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly).
- Strikingly has a free plan. Format does not, though it has a free trial.
- Format also covers no-code and file sharing.
- Strikingly also covers forms, email campaigns and live chat.
At a glance
| Format | Strikingly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly) | $8 per month for up to 2 sites, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Unlimited free sites with Strikingly branding. Connecting a custom domain, and the larger page, storage and store limits, need a paid plan. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Ideaform Inc. | Strikingly |
| Price read from | format.com | strikingly.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Format
- Photographers who deliver proofs and files to clients from their own site
- Artists, designers and filmmakers who want a portfolio without coding
- Creatives selling prints, downloads or bookings without a platform commission
Strikingly
- Short personal, portfolio or event sites that need to go up quickly
- Small shops selling a handful of products
- Creators running paid memberships on a small budget
Worth knowing
Format
- The $12 and $15 a month shown for Pro and Pro Plus need a checkout code, end October 31, 2026 and cover the first year only.
- Basic has no store, hosted video, image storage or custom fonts, and stops at 10 pages and 70 images.
- A domain costs $30 a year after a free first year on annual Pro and Pro Plus; Google Workspace email is $100 a year extra.
- There is no free plan, and the mobile app is for iPhone only.
Strikingly
- Limited keeps Strikingly branding, allows only 5 pages per site and one product, and charges a 5% transaction fee.
- Store fees run 5% on Limited and 2% on Pro; only VIP lists 0%, though the page also advertises a limited-time 0% fee lock for new upgrades.
- Phone support, a dedicated account manager and multi-language sites are VIP-only.
- Plan changes go through email support, and a yearly plan cannot be moved back to monthly billing.
Key features
Format
- Themes and Flex Block layouts
- Pick from more than 90 themes and switch without losing content, build custom layouts on a snap grid with Flex Block, and edit CSS and HTML on Pro and Pro Plus.
- Client galleries and file transfers
- Workflow, included free with every plan, adds proofing galleries with passwords, file transfers of 2 to 10 GB, contacts and moodboards; contracts and CRM Light need Pro.
- Commission-free store
- Sell physical products, digital downloads up to 100 MB and services through PayPal or Stripe with no Format commission: 15 products on Pro and 1,000 on Pro Plus.
- Hosted video
- Upload video straight to the site so visitors see no third-party ads: 15 minutes on Pro and 120 minutes on Pro Plus.
- Lightroom plugin and iPhone app
- Publish galleries from Lightroom Classic with the Format Publisher plugin, or upload and rearrange photos from the iPhone app.
- SEO and translation
- Edit page titles, meta descriptions and image alt text, and connect Weglot to translate the site into other languages.
Strikingly
- Click-to-edit builder
- Pick a template and click any element on the page to change it, then publish straight away. Pro and VIP allow up to 100 pages per site.
- Simple Store
- Sell physical or digital goods with coupons and shipping, paid through PayPal or Stripe. Limits run from one product on Limited to 500 on VIP.
- Memberships and paid content
- Pro adds member log-ins, members-only content and paid subscription memberships; VIP adds several membership tiers.
- Forms, newsletters and live chat
- Signup and contact forms work on every site and custom forms come with Pro. VIP adds newsletters to 2,000 active contacts and a live chat widget.
- Blog, analytics and HTTPS
- Each site has a simple blog, built-in visitor analytics and automatic HTTPS, with social feeds from Facebook, X and Instagram.
Plans
Format
Basic$10
per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly)
$120 a year. 10 pages, 70 images, 3 client galleries and 2 GB file transfers; no store, hosted video, image storage or custom fonts.
Pro$17
per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)
$204 a year. Unlimited pages, 1,500 images, 100 GB storage, 15 video minutes and 15 store products. Shown at $12 for a first year with a code until Oct 31, 2026.
Pro Plus$26
per month, billed annually ($36 billed monthly)
$312 a year. Unlimited images, 1 TB storage, 120 video minutes, 1,000 products and priority support. Shown at $15 for a first year with a code until Oct 31, 2026.
Strikingly
Free$0
Unlimited free sites with Strikingly branding and no custom domain.
Limited$8
per month for up to 2 sites, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly)
Custom domain with SSL, up to 5 pages and 1 GB per site, 50 GB of bandwidth and one product for sale at a 5% fee.
Pro$16
per month for up to 3 sites, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly)
No branding, 100 pages and 20 GB per site, 300 products at a 2% fee, custom forms, memberships, pop-ups, site search and custom code.
VIP$49
per month for up to 5 sites, billed yearly ($59 billed monthly)
100 GB per site, 500 products with no fee, newsletters to 2,000 contacts, live chat, multiple languages, phone support and an account manager.
Ways to pay less
Format
- Annual discount
Save about 29% with yearly billing
Pro costs $204 a year against $24 a month billed monthly; Basic is $120 a year against $14 a month and Pro Plus $312 against $36.
- Education
A free year for students
Format's Student Program gives students a free year on the platform, requested through its education page; it also offers free access to partner schools.
Strikingly
- Annual discount
Pay yearly to save $48 on Pro
Pro costs $192 a year billed yearly against $20 a month billed monthly; Limited is $96 a year against $12 a month.
- Other savings
Lower rates for 2, 3 or 5 years paid up front
Pro costs $336 for 2 years, $432 for 3 years and $672 for 5 years; Limited is $360 for 5 years and VIP $2,064.
- Education
35% off Pro yearly and above for students
A back-to-school sale gives 35% off yearly Pro and higher plans after verifying a .edu email address. The page says it expires soon but gives no date.
- Other savings
Free domain for a year with yearly plans
Yearly plans include a free domain for the first year. Domains otherwise cost $24.95 a year.
